1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to video tape editing apparatus and, more particularly, to such apparatus adapted to be used with a common video display for concurrently displaying an original video picture derived from a source video tape and an edit video picture derived from an edit video tape. The dual pictures, that is, the original and edit video pictures, are readily distinguishable even though they are displayed on a common monitor.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Video editing apparatus is known wherein video signals derived from one source are combined with video signals derived from another source, the combined video signals being suitably stored for subsequent playback and display, such as on an edited video tape. Typically, video as well as audio signals recorded on one tape which, for convenience herein, is designated the source or original tape, are played back and then re-recorded on a target tape, which is referred to herein as an edit tape. Thus, program material from different program sources may be combined, in selected segments and in desired sequence, on a single video tape to form an edited program Such editing is common in television programming, television journalism, etc.
When carrying out an edit operation with known apparatus, separate video displays, or monitors, are used to display video pictures played back from the original and edit tapes, respectively. Such displays enable the operator to determine the particular portions, or segments, which he wishes to transfer from the original tape to the edit tape; and also to identify the location on the edit tape at which such transferred segments should be recorded. Thus, the separate monitors are helpful in searching the original and edit tapes, respectively, to find the proper materials for editing.
A typical embodiment of editing apparatus using two monitors for the aforementioned purpose is illustrated in FIG. 1. As shown, video editing apparatus 100 include an edit circuit 101 which responds to control signals supplied thereto from a control circuit 102 to control the operations of a video tape player 105 and a video record/playback device (referred to simply as a video recorder) 106. A keyboard 103 and a so-called jog dial 104 are manually operated by an operator to select the various video playback and video recording operations that are controlled by edit circuit 101. A monitor 107, referred to as an original picture monitor, is coupled to video player 105 to display video pictures corresponding to the video signals reproduced by the video player Similarly, a monitor 108, referred to as an edit picture monitor, is coupled to video recorder 106 to display the video pictures corresponding to the video signals which are reproduced by a playback operation carried out by the video recorder.
To carry out a typical edit operation, keyboard 103 and jog dial 104 are operated by the operator such that video player 105 reproduces video signals from the original tape for display as a picture by monitor 107. The operator views the displayed video picture until a desired picture is reached. Jog dial 104 may be operated to advance the original tape slowly, on a frame-by-frame basis, to facilitate the operator's search for a desired segment on the original tape. When the desired segment is reached, as will be observed by the picture displayed on monitor 107, keyboard 103 is operated to establish a pause mode for video player 105. Then, while the video player pauses, and while the desired video picture is displayed on monitor 107, keyboard 103 is operated such that video recorder 106 is controlled to play back the video signals recorded on the edit tape. The edit tape playback operation is quite similar to the original tape playback operation; and the video signals reproduced from the edit tape are displayed by monitor 108. When the operator observes a desired picture on monitor 108 at which the video signals from the original tape are to be transferred, keyboard 103 is operated to dispose video recorder 106 in its pause mode. Here too, jog dial 104 may be operated to advance the edit tape on a frame-by-frame basis to facilitate the precise location of that portion of the edit tape whereafter the original tape video signals are to be transferred.
At this stage of the edit operation, original picture monitor 107 displays the beginning of the video segment to be transferred from the original tape to the edit tape; and edit picture monitor 108 displays the starting point on the edit tape at which point the transferred video signals are to be inserted. Then, upon suitable operation of keyboard 103, video signals reproduced from video player 105 are transferred to and recorded on the edit tape by video recorder 106.
Video editing apparatus 100 also may be operated such that the beginning and end of each segment to be transferred from the original tape to the edit tape is identified. For example, while observing the video picture reproduced from the original tape, the operator may actuate suitable control keys to mark the beginning and ending locations on the original tape of the segment to be transferred. When the marked ending location is reached, the transfer operation terminates
As a further alternative, the transfer operation of video signals from the original tape to the edit tape may continue until a stop edit key is actuated.
When using programmable editing apparatus, several segments on the original tape may be identified by their respective beginning and ending locations, as aforementioned. Once all of these segments have been found and designated, the transfer operation from the original tape to the edit tape may be carried out automatically and by remote control.
Video editing apparatus of the type illustrated in FIG. 1 and having the various operating capabilities discussed above heretofore has required the use of two separate monitors. This not only adds to the cost of the apparatus but presents significant space requirements to accommodate two display devices. Also, by observing two separate monitors, the operator may find a complicated editing operation to be quite tiresome.
Recently, video equipment has been proposed in which two separate video pictures are displayed concurrently on a single display screen. Such picture-in-a-picture display would be useful in video editing apparatus. A video picture derived from an original tape and a video picture derived from an edit tape can be displayed simultaneously on such video equipment One of these pictures would be displayed as a so-called main picture and the other would be displayed as a reduced size inserted sub-picture However, by reason of its reduced size, it may be difficult to observe the inserted sub-picture adequately. Particular details which may be important in an editing operation, such as details needed to identify a desired video segment to be edited, might not be adequately discerned. For example, if the video picture derived from the edit tape is displayed as the sub-picture insert, it may be difficult for the operator to select the proper location on the edit tape at which video signals from the original tape should be transferred.
If the main picture displayed by the aforementioned video equipment can be derived from either the original tape or the edit tape, an operator may find it difficult to remember whether the main picture is derived from the original tape and the sub-picture insert is derived from the edit tape, or vice versa. Since the sub-picture generally is inserted at the very same location in the main picture regardless of the particular tape from which that sub-picture is derived, there is a strong possibility that, after several hours of editing, the operator may not recall what is represented by the main picture and what by the sub-picture. Consequently, errors in the editing operation may be produced; and the operation itself is time-consuming and quite labor intensive.